diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 688a381..44dd969 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -669,6 +669,8 @@ to the expected behavior.
   `last_write_time()` now consistently follows symlinks.
 * Fix for [#208](https://github.com/gulrak/filesystem/issues/208), filesystem
   metadata now preserves subsecond modification times.
+* Fix for [#178](https://github.com/gulrak/filesystem/issues/178), recursive
+  iteration no longer resolves symlinks unless requested.
 * Fix for [#185](https://github.com/gulrak/filesystem/issues/185),
   `lexically_normal()` now preserves unresolved parent components in relative
   paths.
diff --git a/include/ghc/filesystem.hpp b/include/ghc/filesystem.hpp
index eb01524..b47e40d 100644
--- a/include/ghc/filesystem.hpp
+++ b/include/ghc/filesystem.hpp
@@ -6047,12 +6047,13 @@ GHC_INLINE recursive_directory_iterator& recursive_directory_iterator::operator+
 GHC_INLINE recursive_directory_iterator& recursive_directory_iterator::increment(std::error_code& ec) noexcept
 {
     bool isSymLink = (*this)->is_symlink(ec);
-    bool isDir = !ec && (*this)->is_directory(ec);
+    const bool followSymlink = (options() & directory_options::follow_directory_symlink) != directory_options::none;
+    bool isDir = !ec && (!isSymLink || followSymlink) && (*this)->is_directory(ec);
     if (isSymLink && detail::is_not_found_error(ec)) {
         ec.clear();
     }
     if (!ec) {
-        if (recursion_pending() && isDir && (!isSymLink || (options() & directory_options::follow_directory_symlink) != directory_options::none)) {
+        if (recursion_pending() && isDir) {
             _impl->_dir_iter_stack.push(directory_iterator((*this)->path(), _impl->_options, ec));
         }
         else {
diff --git a/test/filesystem_test.cpp b/test/filesystem_test.cpp
index 9c89277..f72ec94 100644
--- a/test/filesystem_test.cpp
+++ b/test/filesystem_test.cpp
@@ -1681,6 +1681,21 @@ TEST_CASE("fs.class.rec.dir.itr - class recursive_directory_iterator", "[filesys
         }
         CHECK(os.str() == "d2/b,d2/ds1,d2/ds2,");
     }
+    if (is_symlink_creation_supported()) {
+        TemporaryDirectory t(TempOpt::change_path);
+        generateFile("regular");
+        fs::create_symlink("self", "self");
+        std::multiset<std::string> result;
+        REQUIRE_NOTHROW([&]() {
+            for (const auto& de : fs::recursive_directory_iterator(".")) {
+                result.insert(de.path().generic_string());
+            }
+        }());
+        CHECK(result.size() == 2);
+        CHECK(result.count("./regular") == 1);
+        CHECK(result.count("./self") == 1);
+        CHECK(fs::remove("self"));
+    }
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("fs.op.absolute - absolute", "[filesystem][operations][fs.op.absolute]")